Margin Notes: Elections, One World, Guilt

TORONTO, ONTARIO - I thought I heard a quote on the CBC's The World This Weekend on Saturday night that might have been taken out of context, so I looked it up. Also according to the Toronto Star and others, Stephen Harper really did say “What we know about voting patterns across the country generally is that less and less people you know kind of vote for their grandfathers, right? They basically vote on what they think their needs are and how they think the parties are responding in this election.” Granted, he was speaking descriptively rather than prescriptively, but he's saying that voters are becoming more individualistic and selfish and are not only not thinking less about society, but less about even their other family members. Doesn't he think there's anything wrong with that?!? What about voting for the sake of one's children and grandchildren? Canadians, keep thinking for the good of society, and not narrow selfish wishes--dare I say it--like Americans!

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In the vice-presidential debate in the United States on Thursday night, many people couldn't help but notice that Republican Sarah Palin's body language--especially all the winking she was doing--was straight out of a beauty pageant. In fact, Palin's background as Miss Wasilla and runner-up to Miss Alaska in 1984 seems to surface fairly regularly. Why did she give virtually non-sense answers to Kate Couric during the now-infamous interview, and appear to have more confidence than content during the debate? Beauty pageant contestants are rewarded for keeping their poise in all circumstances and saying something, even if there isn't much content behind it. Basically, beauty pageant contestants are rewarded for spin--and Sarah Palin learned her lessons from those experiences, perhaps too well. It seems that she can't transition from beauty contestant to substantive politician on the national stage.

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I have contemplated if there is anything significant about the fact that John McCain has surrounded himself with "Beauty Queens" in the form of his wife Cindy and running mate Sarah Palin. While Palin may not be rising above her past, Cindy McCain most certainly is a woman of substance--whether I agree with her views or not--so I'm not certain that it says much about John McCain. I think he fits right in with many Americans and their emphasis on appearance.

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On last weekend's God Talk on San Francisco's KGO Newstalk 810, host Brent Walters stated that contrary to some teachings, "In all western traditions, God never deals through guilt; God only deals through encouragement... Guilt only cripples us." One doesn't need to have religious faith to recognize the truth in the latter sentence.

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For those that aren't familiar with Paul Harvey's "This Is Not One World" features on the radio, he includes them in his commentary broadcasts in an attempt to demonstrate that the United States is better than the rest of the world. Often, they are bizarre interpretations of news stories, to the extent that I've long-felt some counter-point was needed, because like it or not, there is only planet for all of us and there are more ways in which we are all similar than different.

In the "This Is One World" Department: The Christian Science Monitor quotes Ozlem Sandikci of Bilkent University as stating that "Across the Muslim world, there are numerous signs that Ramadan... is transforming from a religious month to a cultural and commercial holiday." In an article focusing on Turkey's Ramadan fast-breaking Iftar dinners, Monitor correspondent Yigal Schleifer notes that they are resembling "gala events" instead of religious ceremonies. I hope they don't invite Stephen Harper...